Oxford Application Form (Separate from UCAS)

[karansaraf]

Ok, so the only thing left for my UCAS application is for my school to check my PS and then write my reference. I thought it would be good to start doing my Oxford Application Form in the meantime, and I got one.

I have a few questions about it:

On the first side of he form, it has two boxes, one that says "College/PPH of preference" and another that says "PPH/Harris Manchester Second Choice". Now, I know that you only get to choose your first choice and not your second one, so if I am applying to Wadham, I just fill in the first box right? I am assuming that the second box is if you are applying to a PPH or Harris Manchester that you get to choose a second choice? Anyway...

On to my second question - what to write in the "Additional Information" box, which hasn't been included in the PS.

I was thinking of writing:

-Why I chose Wadham (although the reasons are just that I liked it from staying there on the Open Day, and the feel of it, although I dunno if that's a very good reason to put on the form?)
-The fact that I like the sciency course at Oxford (again, dunno how I'm going to phrase that bit..)
-Write down the name of a book I've read (since I didn't include this in my PS) and maybe write that it is because "Morris challenges conventional theories and this development of ideas is another thing that attracts me to medicine" or something like that - I dunno yet, heh.

As you can see, I'm not very sure about how to write down all this stuff...


Is there anything else useful you think I should put in that box?

[Fuchsia]

1. You are right - only put a second choice if you are applying to a PPH or Harris Manchester (graduate college.)

2. If you put 'why Wadham' then your allocated college, which otherwise wouldn't know which college you'd applied to, will see it. I don't know how that will affect how they act towards you, knowing they are not your first choice college. Of course, they will find out eventually, but still.

Don't repeat anything on your personal statement - make this really, really relevant to oxford. Otherwise there's no point writing anything at all. People have written loads and it didn't help them get in. Then again, people have written nothing and have been accepted. However - I am not an admissions tutor, I don't know the Whole Story. If you want to write something, tell them why Oxford, why the medical course at Oxford, and why they should consider YOU; i.e. put a bit about your enthusiasms and how that will fit you for the type of teaching/the course at oxo.

Hope that helps - good luck!

[The Messiah]

I agree... Do not repeat anything on your personal statement. It should be about why you chose Oxford specifically. I put down my reasons for applying to St. Hugh's on my form. I got my offer from St. Hugh's but I don't know how St. Anne's felt about it (i.e. I don't know whether they would have given me an offer if St. Hugh's rejected me)

[Huw Davies]

On my extra box I sucked up to Magdalen...

And got an offer from St. Anne's.

[charis_d]

I totally agree that you neednt repeat anything already mentioned in your ps. As far as your reasons for choosing oxford/college are concerned, heres a little anecdote: When I filled in the form I wrote that I chose oxford because of the strong science emphasis etc (the usual stuff) and my reasons for choosing brasenose college. Then after sending the form, I received a letter we all got from the medical school, saying that colleges wouldnt know if we chose them or if they were allocated to us, so i got really worried thinking i shouldnt have mentioned brasenose in the form, and went to my head teacher asking him what to do. He called a random person at admissions in my presence (no idea who so i cant quote him) who said something along the lines of: dont worry, we screen the form before forwarding it to colleges, and in cases like that we ll make sure that the interviewers wont see what you wrote before the interview, only later when they'll find out your choice of college anyway.

Personal conclusion: what you write in the form wont really make that much of a difference. As Fuchsia said, if you are going to write something, make it really relevant to oxford. I dont think writing about a book would hurt you, on the contrary, it might give them more stuff to ask you at interview, so I'd personally mention it if I felt confident about talking about it.

[saintgermain]

Can anyone direct me to where I might download the Oxford Application Form for the graduate entry course? I have one such form but it does not have space for any of the comments above so perhaps I have the wrong one..

[The Messiah]

Here you are...

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgradua...ms/appform.pdf

I'm pretty sure that your course is a postgraduate one... I can't understand why i'm doubting that slightly...

[saintgermain]

Hmm.. that form seems to apply only to those wanting to take MSc/phD type qualifications. I found another application form (http://bmra.pharm.ox.ac.uk/AppForms2006.pdf) but this doesn't give scope for additional information either. Karansaraf: where did you find this form of which you speak!

[karansaraf]

You should get it from your college/sixth form, or if you are not in a position to do so, or if they don't have any copies of it, you need to get it from:

Oxford Colleges Admissions Office
University Offices
Wellington Square
Oxford
OX1 2JD


You need to send this form off to Oxford by the 15th October AS WELL as your UCAS form.